1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mobile terminal having a pointing device, and in particular, to a menu selection apparatus and method using a pointing device for a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pointing device is a component of a computing machine, such as a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, or a mobile terminal, that is used to move the cursor or pointer on a display screen. An optical joystick, stick point and touch pad are representative examples of a pointing device.
Recently, pointing devices are increasingly being used in small handheld appliances such as mobile terminals, for example, to provide a pointing function similar to that of a mouse in a personal computer.
In menu navigation using a pointing device, the user typically manipulates the pointing device to select a menu item by placing the pointer on the menu item and to execute a function associated with the selected menu item by clicking the activated menu item. The precise control of a pointing device is important for the user's convenience during menu navigation.
In particular, for a mobile terminal having a pointing device, a drifting pointer is a chronic problem. This may be due to the mobility and smallness of the mobile terminal, and can result in the user being inconvenienced by the effects of pointer drift during menu selection.
Further, for menu navigation using a pointing device, a pointer is usually displayed to indicate a particular position on the screen.
FIG. 1 is a display screen representation illustrating menu selection using a pointing device in a conventional manner. In FIG. 1, an arrow-like pointer () is pointing a menu item ‘5. Electronic Wallet’ for activation in a menu ‘1. SKT Service’ on a screen 10. However, a displayed pointer may hide a portion of the screen display and hinder clear viewing of menu items. Moreover, this problem may become more significant for a mobile terminal having a small display screen.